Articles by Monte Dutton

Polls, polls, everywhere polls. They’re the modern equivalent of signs. Then there are all the various forms of social media, which make simple, straightforward communication impossible at worst and hazardous at best, but that is a topic for another day. READ MORE

Each year – or at least for the past six – NASCAR’s “integrated marketing/communications team” issues what it dubs its “Loopies,” i.e., awards determined by examining the so-called “loop data” from Sprint Cup races. READ MORE

The first Daytona 500s I attended were in 1988 and ’89. In those I sat in the grandstands. I was back in 1993 to write about it and have done so every year since. Bobby Allison won the first. Matt Kenseth won last year. READ MORE

CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers’ 17-6 victory over the Oakland Raiders wasn’t elegant. It may be remembered more for an assortment of personal fouls — leading with the helmet, tackling a receiver somehow deemed “defenseless” and even bumping the referee — than anything else.
The Carolina head coach, Ron Rivera, doesn’t worry much about elegance. READ MORE

I’ve tried to be attentive during this bowl season, which is gradually becoming as long as the parallel season known as winter. ESPN’s “Capital One Bowl Week” is closer to a month, but I guess they didn’t want to call it a month for what the sponsor’s paying. That issue will undoubtedly come up when the contract comes due. READ MORE